The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1887-10-07

NUMBER 25.
THE INDEMNITY LANDS.
A SQuatter on Every Quartsr-A wild
Rush for Claims.
Acting on some sudden impulse. the latter
portion Of last week witnessed wild rush on
the part Of people from Portland and Mayville
to squat on the lands embraced in the ten-mie
Indemnity strip in the counties of Steele and
Traill. The lumber yards at Mayville and
Portland were kept open till late in the night
selling lumber to those who desired to build
shacks, and to-day every quarter section has a
claim shanty on it. There seems to be no we'll
settled opinion as to the legal status Of those
who have purchased these lands from the
Northern Pacific or of the rights of the rail-
road in the matter. The one idea seems to be
to get the best improved quarter possible and
hold 1t down and await developments.
Among purchasers of these lands there Is
considerable uneasness in regard to the mat
ter and some are hesitatng in regard to plow.
ing. That much trouble Is in store for the
people who have purchased land seems proba-
BILE, but that they can be deprived of their
land and improvements without just compen-
sation seems neither probable nor reasonable.
The Northern Pacific has given notice of It's
intention to defend its interests both before
the different branches Of the land department
of the government and in the courts Just at
| present it looks to us as though tho only right
the sQuatters have acquired in the matter is
that of being made parties to litigation that
is likely to be prolonged for years, should the
matter have to be fought out. 1t seems more
than probable, however, that as soon as Con-
gress assemblies measures will be passed to
protect innocent holders should 1t be found
| that the present laws are not adequate for
| that purpose. In the meantime we advise
farmers who hold land In the disputed territory
to pursue the even tenor of their way and go
on and prepare their land for crop next year
as though nothing unusual had happened.
| In order that our readers may be In possess
sion of all the information obtainable in re-
gard to this matter, we publish below the
opinion expressed by Register Rea, of the Bis
marck land district in an interview with a
correspondent of the St. Paul Globe, the views
Mr.. John w. Lebarnes, the veteran law clerk
| of the general land office at Washington, the
notice of Mr.. Lamborn, land commissioner Of
the Northern Pacific and several extracts from
the territorial press:
! ''On October 81 we will be ready to receive
/ filings and entries, but as all of our indemnity
lands Oess than One-half Of them Deing sur
\ Veys3 have been selected by the railroad coin
pany, and the selections unapproved, the set
Tiers application Is taken, notice issued to the
have heard that the company will answer
the notice and appear at every hearing with
objections. The unsurveyed land can be
sQuatted upon, and, when In MARKET hleo
upon without notice to the railroad. There ia
n0Gontroversy in the local Office over the lands
The eth section Of the act OF March, 1887
providing for an adjustment Ut land grants,
n may protect innocent purchasers II they pur
d d chase over again at $l.25 per acre from th
out II they so select"
JOHN W. LEBARNEs.
'Lands in the ten-mile strip outside of th
t legal thirty miles in Minnesota, and outside o
;, thrown open to settlement by the decision {
l Secretary Lamar, and always should have bee
go considered. The railroad company errone
ouslv G. aimed that ten-nile strip, and attenpte
misconstruc,' ion and misinterpretation OF al
act which was lobbied through congress
Secretary Lamar h as put quletus upon thos
claims. Not only tb,> greater part but all Q
the ten miles now beol. y to the public domain
beyond question. Titles in, 'o!ved III ereat iarth
and smaller lots will be equl. 'oly M sesslea Dy u
department. There Is no net, To- 80 an,. a. oo "
u, ~ of t1,rv H.
faith, but the railroad never had utle' an
hence could not convey good title"
WHAT THE NORTHERN PACIFIC HAS TO SAY.
NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY, J
J.AND DEPARTMENT,
ST. PAUL, Sept. 20, 1887.
To whom it may concern: Notice is hereby
given that the Northern Pacific Railroad com
pany claims title from the United States under
its charter to all lands within Its indemnity
limits, for which said company has filed seec.
tion lists In the office Of the register and re-
ceivers OF the United States land offices n the
states OF Wisconsin, Minnesota and Oregon,
and the territories OF Dakota, Montana, Idaho
and Washington; and that said company will
| resist In the land department and in the courts,
any effort Of any and all persons to acquire title
OF, in, or to any portion Of said selected lands,
and that said company will institute actions
in the courts against any person attempting to
seleceted lands excepting through and under
the Northern Pacific Railroad company,
The recent ruling and order OF the secretary
Of the interior is not final. It is contrary to the
uniform current of decisions Of the fedora
courts in relation to the subject matter, The
railroad company will resist any and all at
tempts to deprive it Of said lands.
CHAs. B. LAMBoRN, Land Commissioner.
JAMES MCNAUdHr, Counsel.
FARGO TELEGRAM.
FARGO, Oct. There is growing and wide.
spread alarm over the effect of the late decis.
ion Of the land department in regard to tht
Northern Pacific indemnity lands 1t is under
stood to affect the greater part Of the strip o1
ten miles outside of the forty each side of the
these two en-nile strips are many Of the Iarg
est farms and and quite number of towns
La M0ure, Buxton, Wahpeton, etc. The rail-
road company has sold about all these lands
, for small figures, and many have multiplied
the purchase figures in value many times. The
} them. The road gobbed them up without
much regard to the law, and they passed. to a
greater extent perhaps than any other lands,
into the hands OF speculators. They are now
declared in the market and open for home
steaders and to pre-emption next month, and
squatters are locating all over the best part Of
them. 1t is said that in Traill county there is
. hardly quarter Of the ten miles along the
Manitoba that somebody is not putting shanty
upon, and the men who bought and cultivated
them are full of alarm and apprehension. The
road can only recompense them to the amount
Of the purchase money, which 10 but small
part OF the present value. The towns in the
limit are also becoming alarmed, as the title,
to their lots are involved. It Is believed that II
will become matter of much public concern
and perhaps require action by congress- It Il
alleged that the land Office is simply enforcing
the law.
from the Portland Inter Ocean.1